Somers’ heroics in final game lift Lynden to third-place trophy

Lynden senior Sterling Somers made sure his name won’t be forgotten anytime soon with a memorable performance in his final game in a Lions basketball uniform.

Somers, who will play at Seattle Pacific next year and earned Co-Class 2A Player of the Year honors last week, scored 28 points, hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with seven seconds to play and then made sure that lead would stand with a block at the other end of the floor in Lynden’s 54-52 victory over Tumwater in the third-place game of the Class 2A State Tournament Saturday, March 5, at the Yakima Valley SunDome.

“I was proud of our guys for coming out with a lot of energy even though their emotional tank was near empty after an emotional loss yesterday,” Lynden coach Brian Roper said in a phone interview.

After leading by 13 points at halftime, the Lions (25-30) watched Tumwater chip away in the second half and finally take the lead on a 3-pointer by Jacob Gibbons with 2:15 to play. The Thunderbirds’ run continued, as they built a lead as big as five points with 1:09 remaining.

But Somers hit a 3 — his fourth of five in the game — to stem the tide with 1:03 left and bring Lynden within two points. After Jacob Gibbons hit a jumper with 51 seconds remaining to push the Thunderbirds’ lead back to four points, Somers answered with a fast-break bucked with 32 seconds left to make the score 52-50.

That set up his game-winning 3 and his heroics on the defensive end.

“We are just glad we got one more possession,” Roper said. “Tumwater showed a lot of grit and toughness and we congratulate them on a great season, too.”

Unsung heroes

Andrew Kivlighn scored eight points, pulled down nine rebounds and had two assists in the game for the Lions. Noah King scored seven points.

“Kivlighn’s rebounds were huge and a career high for him,” Roper said.

Moving on

Besides Somers, who led the Lions in scoring this season with 18.9 points per game, Lynden will also graduate Noah King, who averaged 9.8 points this season, and Jordan Wittenberg, who hit a game-clinching free throw Saturday and averaged 7.6 points per game. Everyone else who went to state is expected back.

“They have been terrific and really embraced the younger guys on our team,” Roper said of Lynden’s three seniors. “They’ve left a strong legacy.”

This story was originally published March 5, 2016 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Somers’ heroics in final game lift Lynden to third-place trophy."